Eu subsidies agriculture

Twenty years ago, there were two small dairy farms in my hamlet in Normandy. There were ten farms, big and small, in my commune in the hills 20 miles south of Caen. There are now no farms in my hamlet and only four farms in the commune. One of the remaining farmers will retire this year. His land, mostly rented, will be split up between larger holdings. Much the same pattern can be observed all over France. There are 460,000 French farms in 2019, compared to 750,000 two decades ago. Fine, you may say. Such developments are healthy and inevitable. French farming is adjusting to the economic realities of the modern world. French President Emmanuel Macron at this year's Salon de l'Agriculture. Photo: AFP Is it? Despite the holocaust in farm numbers and a doubling of farm sizes in the last two decades, two out of five French farmers earn less than €4,320 a year. Without their subsidies from Brussels, tens of thousands of … [Read more...] about ANALYSIS: ‘Farming doesn’t feed us’: The story of France’s ailing agriculture

FARMERS who protect the ­countryside will get priority for state subsidies after Brexit, Michael Gove is expected to say. The Environment Secretary will unveil a system of “public money for public goods” to replace the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy which enriches well-off landowners. The Agriculture Bill, which will be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, is the first piece of legislation to detail exactly how any one sector of the economy will change after Brexit. Mr Gove writes in the Daily Telegraph that farmers will “at last” be properly rewarded for the work they do “to enhance the environment around us”. Farmers who receive the biggest EU subsidies – £150,000 or more – will see the largest reduction in their grants when the transition begins, with 25 per cent cut in the first year. Mr Gove writes that the changes will “help farm businesses become more resilient, productive and internationally … [Read more...] about Farmers who protect countryside will get priority for state subsidies after Brexit

0 Have your say With just months until Britain leaves the EU, political differences on the terms of Brexit are still rife and Scotland remains at odds with Westminster over the terms of any deal. The UK faces crashing out without a deal if the bloc rejects its plans. In fact, hardcore Brexiteers in Conservative ranks are increasingly saying a “no deal” Brexit would be better than a soft Brexit. So possible is the outcome that both the UK and the EU have issued guidance on their preparations for a no deal scenario.READ MORE: Scotland’s Brexit battle with UK backed by Northern Ireland and WalesREAD MORE: Joyce McMillan: New political alliances vital to stop Brexit disasterWhat is a ‘no deal’ Brexit? A “no deal” Brexit does what it says on the tin. It means the UK and the EU would be unable to reach a withdrawal agreement. If no agreement can be made, it means there would be no 21-month transition period, which Theresa May … [Read more...] about Brexit: What happens if Britain leaves the EU with no deal?

The European Union has created fear and uncertainty among farmers in Northern Ireland by treating the Province as a political football in Brexit negotiations, MPs have been told. Co Tyrone poultry farmer Thomas Douglas said it was time for the EU to “wise up”, suggesting political posturing was preventing a workable solution to cross-border trade post Brexit.Mr Douglas, who was one of a number of farmers who outlined their concerns to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, also claimed Conservative and Labour MPs in Great Britain were not concerned about the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland and stressed the need for power-sharing to be restored at Stormont.Committee members travelled from Westminster to Belfast on Monday to hear evidence from farmers from a range of different agricultural sectors.Mr Douglas told the evidence session at Stormont: “The biggest thing, and I think all of us would agree, is we need to know what is going to happen in Brexit, whether … [Read more...] about Farmers tell MPs: EU has treated Northern Ireland as Brexit football

News / UK and world by Press Association July 16, 2018, 1:26 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter The European Union has created fear and uncertainty among farmers in Northern Ireland by treating the region as a political football in Brexit negotiations, MPs have been told. Co Tyrone poultry farmer Thomas Douglas said it was time for the EU to “wise up”, suggesting political posturing was preventing a workable solution to cross border trade post Brexit. Mr Douglas, who was one of a number of farmers who outlined their concerns to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, also claimed Conservative and Labour MPs in Great Britain were not concerned about the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland and stressed the need for powersharing to be restored at Stormont. Committee members travelled from Westminster to Belfast on Monday to hear evidence from farmers from a range of different agricultural sectors. Mr Douglas told … [Read more...] about Farmers accuse EU of playing political ‘football’ over cross-border trade